زيت
zét/zajt/Egyptian Arabic, masculine
The Arabic word for oil is زيت (zét) (zayt), used for cooking oil, olive oil and engine oil. If unsure, use زيت. Wiktionary also lists زَيْت (zayt).
Meaning: liquid fat (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| زيت | zét | /zajt/ | Egyptian Arabic, masculine |
| زَيْت | zayt | masculine |
زيت covers liquid fat for cooking and also the oil in a car. Olive oil is زيت الزيتون (zayt al-zaytūn), literally oil of the olive.
Which one should you use?
To speak specifically of cooking oil, say زيت الطَّعَام.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic the word is said zét.
How does it change in a sentence?
زيت is masculine. Add al- to the front to get الزيت, the oil.
How do you pronounce it?
In Modern Standard Arabic it is /zajt/, said like the English word sight but with a z. Egyptians say zét.
Did you know?
- While زيت describes liquid fats, Arabic uses an entirely different word, نفط (naft), for petroleum. This distinction prevents confusion between a bottle of cooking oil and a barrel of crude oil.
- In Arabic, the word for the olive tree, زيتون (zaytūn), is actually derived from the word for oil, زيت (zayt). The tree is named after the product it provides.
- Because olive oil is central to Mediterranean culture, زيت الزيتون appears frequently in Arabic poetry as a symbol of blessing and peace.
Examples in context
- هي تشرب زيت الزيتون.She drinks olive oil.زيت الزيتون means olive oil.Tatoeba #11644672 by dididodo, translation #8445528 by Amastan
- تفقد ياني زيت السيارة مجددا.Yanni checked the oil again.زيت السيارة is the oil in a car.Tatoeba #12004027 by dididodo, translation #10011571 by Amastan
- أُضِيفُ قَلِيلًا مِنَ الزَّيْتِ إِلَى السَّلَطَةِ.I add a little oil to the salad.Here الزَّيْتِ appears with the article and full vowel marks.
Example conversation
Youssef and Layla are cooking dinner together in the kitchen.
- يوسف Youssefيا ليلى، فين الزيت؟Ya Layla, fen el-zeit?Layla, where is the oil?
- ليلى Laylaالزيت في الدولاب فوق.El-zeit fel-dolab foq.The oil is in the cupboard above.
- يوسف Youssefتمام، عايز شوية زيت للقلي.Tamam, ayez shewayet zeit lel-qaly.Okay, I want some oil for frying.
- ليلى Laylaخدي الزيت من هنا يا يوسف.Khod el-zeit men hena ya Youssef.Take the oil from here, Youssef.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “oil” translations and entries زيت, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
